常時英心:言葉の森から 1.0

約10年間,はてなダイアリーで英語表現の落穂拾いを行ってきました。現在はAmeba Blogに2.0を開設し,継続中です。こちらはしばらくアーカイブとして維持します。

flummox

レッドソックスの松坂投手が27日のロイヤルズ戦に先発し、7回を投げ、1失点(自責点0)で477日ぶりの白星をあげました。今回の勝利で、彼はメジャー通算50勝を達成しました。

久しぶりの快投に用いられのがflummoxという動詞です。これはconfuse、flabbergastに置き換えることができ、「まごつかせる、面食らわせる」という意味ありがあります。通常は受け身の形で使われることが多い動詞ですが、vtで使われるとその分、驚きが込められているように感じます。(GP)

Daisuke Matsuzaka Shows Signs of Confidence, Improved Health With Lights Out Return
by Didier Morais on Mon, Aug 27, 2012

About every time Daisuke Matsuzaka's back is against the wall, he responds with a rare gem. On Monday, it was quite the stellar start. Making his first appearance for the Red Sox since July 2 and sixth outing of the season, Matsuzaka flummoxed the Royals lineup en route to leading the team to a 5-1 victory.

"When I returned back in June and I didn't get the results I wanted to, I thought for a moment I wouldn't be able to pitch a game like today again this season," Matsuzaka said, through an interpreter.

"I got back to my rehab, and my last two rehab starts in Pawtucket went really well and felt really good. I knew if I was able to pitch like that up here, the results would come. My body right now feels a lot better than it did before I had Tommy John and my body definitely feels better than it did back in June."

Through seven innings, Matsuzaka allowed one run –– which was unearned –– on five hats while fanning six. By mowing down the lineup with ease, the pitcher snapped a six start winless drought and claimed his first 'W' since May 8, 2011.

It was the type of performance the Red Sox anticipated when Matsuzaka returned to mound after Tommy John surgery on June 9. But in five starts, he wound up going 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA before landing on the disabled list again with neck discomfort. Those close to him believe the trapezius issue was a byproduct of the pitching alterations he made after Tommy John surgery. Whatever adjustments Matsuzaka made in Triple-A, it certainly enthralled Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine.

"Saw a good pitcher who used all his pitches," Valentine said. "I thought the two-ball, one-strike count changed the game around about five times where he was able to throw his breaking ball for a strike. I thought he had good control of his cutter on the outside part to right-handers. Got hit a couple times backdoor to left-handers. He gave us what we needed. 100 pitches, seven innings, five hits — it's a good outing." It also had a historical ramification.

With the victory, Matsuzaka notched his 50th career win in the majors, joining fellow countrymen Hideo Nomo (123), Hiroki Kuroda (53) and Tomo Ohka (51) in that company. But Matsuzaka needed to be patient to cross that plateau. After all, the 31-year-old admitted to feeling discouraged when he wasn't tallying the results he had hoped back in June and July.

"Dice threw the ball well," catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "Everything was real sharp. He had great command. He’s been coming back from surgery so it’s going to be a process of getting that feeling back and getting your sharpness back and everything feeling good."

It came at the right time for the Red Sox.

http://www.nesn.com/2012/08/daisuke-matsuzaka-shows-signs-of-confidence-improved-health-with-lights-out-return.html